Tonight was the big night for Patrice’s performance at Carnegie Hall. But first, we had other things to do. That’s right……………. EAT! Patrice and I headed off to Tanner Smith’s (204 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019). The place had good ratings online but more important it was across the street from the hotel. Forty degree temperatures will make a restaurant’s proximity to your hotel a major factor in deciding where to eat. A quick look at the menu had my eyes drawn to one of my favorites.
Although I love Shrimp N Grits I could not order them because it would violate one of my basic rules of dining. Never order Shrimp N Grits north of the Mason-Dixon line. Instead, I ordered the Avocado Smash. It looked and tasted great but I didn’t take any pictures (Hey, I am just doing this for fun, I am not a professional blogger).
After breakfast we went to the gym to workout. Then it was time to for Patrice to head to Carnegie Hall for the dress rehearsal. Here is a picture of her at the rehearsal.
No? How about now?
My favorite concert singer.
Erica’s friend Aparna joined us for the dress rehearsal.
Aparna, Erica and me enjoying the rehearsal.
After the rehearsal, Patrice went back to the hotel to rest her voice and body. Aparna, Erica and I went in search of food. Waiting until the end of the concert for food was not an option. As Erica and Patrice will tell you, it’s important to “Feed the Beast”.
We just needed a small snack because apparently the post-concert meal was supposed to be a real feast. Aparna suggested a “Classic New York Experience”. See below.
The pizza was quick, cheap and great.
We joined Patrice at the hotel then it was off to the Hall. The performance was spectacular. We got a peek-a-boo wave at the beginning of the concert because she got in trouble for a full wave during the rehearsal. The conductor mocked her for waving. I spoke to one of the ushers about the conductor being a jerk. The usher said the guy is a jerk and shared some juicy gossip. Sorry, but on the advice of legal counsel, I cannot share that information on the blog. Actually, later on, I did some further research and realized that the usher was not talking about tonight’s conductor. So the dirt wasn’t about him but it doesn’t matter he’s still a jerk.
Tomorrow it’s time to head for home. Usually, ending a vacation is a sad time. This time, not so. The grandsons brought their parents to Hermosa for a visit so we will be seeing them tomorrow. And there is one other thing that makes going home so good.
Robert Reiss Travel Blog and Other Ramblings 